Dunedin Children's Choir
Who We Are
The Dunedin Children's Choir was formed in January, 2023, and is a choir open to 7-15 year olds in the Dunedin region.
The choir is divided into two sub-choirs: The junior and senior choirs. The junior choir is open to all children between the ages of 7 and 10, and rehearses at 3.50 - 4.50pm. The senior choir is open to all children with treble/unchanged voices between the ages of 11 and 15, and rehearses at 5 - 6.30pm. Both choirs are held on Wednesdays during the school term at Flagstaff Community Church.
The choir explores a wide range of music from around the world, and in a range of styles. As well as the learning of songs, DCC choristers continually develop their vocal and musicianship abilities.
The Dunedin Children's Choir perform regularly throughout the year to whānau and the wider Dunedin community.
Our Vision
Our vision at Dunedin Children's Choir is to establish a supportive environment where children can discover the joy of singing, enhance their vocal abilities, and develop their musicianship, fostering a lifelong love of music.
Our History
After working alongside one another leading the Māori Hill School Choir in 2022, Susie and Natasha put their heads together and came up with the idea to create a city-wide children's choir based in the community. Their aim was to create a community-based choir dedicated to developing young voices in an enriching, engaging and fun way.
With the knowing that all children can develop their singing to a high level through training, Susie and Natasha bounce off each other to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where all children can thrive and grow. Since its inception, multi-instrumentalist and tutor Helen Rutherford has also come on board as a third team member.
The Dunedin Children's Choir has sung at community events such as Midwinter Carnival and Sing Fest 2023. In 2024, the older members of the Dunedin Children's Choir (the Chamber Choir) worked incredibly hard to prepare a programme and present this at the World Choir Games, the largest choral event in the world. Held in Auckland, July 2024, the DCC Chamber Choir were very successful and were thrilled to receive a Silver Diploma Level 6 in the Open Competition.
The Dunedin Children's Choir continues to grow and expand, and we welcome you to get in touch if you would like to join our choir family!
Words from Whānau
"Our son is absolutely loving the DCC, and for him to have chosen choir practice over playing Futsal is high praise indeed! Natasha and Susie are a dynamic duo instilling a real love and knowledge of music in a group of children from all over Dunedin. The atmosphere is inclusive and fun, and the children sound amazing and leave with a smile each and every week. Thank you Natasha and Susie for all you're doing for our tamariki. This choir will bring many people joy in the coming months."
"Natasha and the team at The Dunedin Children's Choir are extremely talented musicians and teachers. I'm impressed every week with the artistry, quality learning and fun that goes on during the choir sessions. My son is having a great time and has grown so much musically, he's made a bunch of new friends and gained a ton of confidence. The regular performances have been an inspirational highlight for us! It's been wonderful to see the joy that singing in a choir brings to all the children. In my opinion this is the best extra curricular activity for our kids. Choir has it all! (musicianship, positive mood enhancer, creative outlet, exercise, performance, fun and friendship... ) Thanks to Natasha and Susie for creating this special taonga in Dunedin. 10/10"
"My 2 always come back from choir really happy and excited! They can't stop singing and there was soooo much excitement around the new DCC tops. Huge thumbs up from me. Such a positive experience for all."
"Such a great extra curricular activity.. Encouraging enthusiastic teachers that keep each practice interesting and different. Such fun catchy songs, that we sing them on the way home. And I love that there are so many opportunities to experience performances and working with other choirs of all different ages."
"Elina loves singing in the DCC choir, she grew in confidence and her capabilities. Natasha supported the children to create a wonderful and contagious energy in every performance, and it is a pleasure to see the children expressing themselves in a fun and safe environment. Thanks for everything we love our whānau at DCC."